Earth
Crew Dragon and Falcon 9: The newest way to get to the ISS
It has been a long road from concept to flight for the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) culminating in the successful launch of the Demo 2 flight which launched May 30, 2020. SpaceX now begins fulfilling its contract with NASA taking astronauts to the International Space Station and returning them home safely with the launch of …
What the ISS has taught us about living in space
November 2 marked 20 years since the first residents arrived on the International Space Station (ISS). The orbiting habitat has been continuously occupied ever since. Twenty straight years of life in space makes the ISS the ideal “natural laboratory” to understand how societies function beyond Earth. The ISS is a collaboration between 25 space agencies …
International Space Station marks 20 years of continuous human presence
NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and her crewmates are celebrating the 20th anniversary of continuous human habitation of the International Space Station (ISS) today. The ISS has been continuously occupied since November 2, 2000, when NASA astronaut and Expedition 1 commander William “Shep” Shepherd and flight engineers Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko became the first residents. …
Check out these experiments on the International Space Station
Think of the International Space Station as a floating science lab that’s constantly conducting experiments. In most cases, NASA, the U.S. space agency, provides logistical support to international partners as they prioritize experiments, schedule them, deliver necessary materials to the station and receive results on Earth. U.S. astronauts and those from international partner countries conduct …
Boeing Starliner orbital test flight to ISS targeted for December
As the Boeing team continues to implement hardware and software changes recommended by the joint review team, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is targeting December for the launch of a second uncrewed test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station. “The Commercial Crew Program currently is targeting no earlier than December …
Four astronomical discoveries from ancient Greece
The Histories by Herodotus (484BC to 425BC) offers a remarkable window into the world as it was known to the ancient Greeks in the mid-fifth century BC. Almost as interesting as what they knew, however, is what they did not know. This sets the baseline for the remarkable advances in their understanding over the next …
SpaceX launch of Crew-1 mission set for Oct. 23
NASA is targeting no earlier than Oct. 23 for the first operational flight of the commercial SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft with astronauts launched by a Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program – following the recent conclusion of the historic Demo-2 test flight to the station …
From the pyramids to Stonehenge – were prehistoric people astronomers?
Ever since humans could look up to see the sky, we have been amazed by its beauty and untold mysteries. Naturally then, astronomy is often described as the oldest of the sciences, inspiring people for thousands of years. Celestial phenomena are featured in prehistoric cave paintings. And monuments such as the Great Pyramids of Giza …
Grounded by pandemic, NASA interns keep researching
Students selected for a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) summer program have continued conducting research in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic grounding their flight plans. NASA, which is responsible for the U.S. government’s civilian space program, selects several dozen college students each year for internships with its Student Airborne Research Program (SARP). Most summers …
UAE’s Mars mission aims to inspire citizens to pursue STEM fields
Dn July 14, a new Mars-bound spacecraft will launch from Japan. While several Mars missions are planned to launch over the next month, what makes this different is who’s launching it: the United Arab Emirates. Though new to space exploration, the UAE has set high goals for the probe, named Hope. The mission aims to …